We are unable to provide specific comments due to the potential criminal and civil matters that may move forward. The Vice article was written without the benefit of access to the full independent investigation and may have inaccurate information. The behavior by Officer Chris Drumm was uncovered by a Eugene Police Department supervisor who became suspicious of Officer Drumm after a conversation with Jamie Clark (otherwise known as Jay St. James). Because of the seriousness of the concerns, Officer Drumm was immediately placed on leave and we requested the Salem Police Department to conduct an independent investigation, which was launched within hours. The complete investigation was sent to the District Attorney's Office within two weeks. Our last update from the DA’s office was that the case has not yet been presented to the grand jury, please refer to the recent statement made by District Attorney Patty Perlow. Mr. Drumm resigned after being placed on administrative leave during the criminal investigation. Currently Mr. Drumm’s police certification is inactive and he has been flagged for review and possible revocation for moral fitness.
I take allegations of misconduct very seriously and appreciate the system we have in place to hold us accountable to this community and their expectations. In this particular case, it was the courage of one of our supervisors who followed his instincts that lead to removal of an individual who shouldn’t be a part of this profession.